Wild Habitat

Our Wild Prairie

We have returned one acre of our space in Kentucky to native habitat. We had originally thought to purchase native prairie grass seed and re-seed the plot. However, at $250 a pound for seed, we decided to let nature take its own course. And it has.

In a way that is typical of nature, the space first became overgrown with forbs (plants you would normally refer to as "weeds"). Eventually these will be suppressed by the emergence of native grasses and we are observing a return to a typical Kentucky prairie.

We often take a walk through this little miniature prairie and it's fascinating to watch the progression toward a climax prairie. We hope to see some of the famous Kentucky bluegrass eventually. For the moment the native flowers, insects, and birds (and an occasional deer and even a few coyotes) provide a refuge from the constant stimulation found in our "other" daily world. We can stand in our wild place and watch the sunset with no man-made objects to mar the view. That's tough to find, even in the country landscapes of Kentucky no matter how far out of the city.

We have found mockingbirds, brown thrashers, cardinals and robins nesting here ...all common birds, but still satisfying to know that they each have a suitable space to raise families. Bobwhite quail nest somewhere close by, though we haven't found their nests. Hummingbirds come to our feeders ...eight of them each year, and we can't find their nest(s) either. Goldfinches are everywhere. They are supported by the thistle that grows so plentifully in the natural area.

A killdeer plover insists on nesting in the median of our long driveway where every vehicle must pass over the nest several times a day. She has successfully hatched her four eggs every year but one.

Cottontail rabbits abound now where none were to be seen when we first moved here.

We haven't found any rare or endangered species of plants on our property, but Kentucky has about 500 of these. Probably the best book on the subject is Kentucky's Last Great Places by Dr. Tom Barnes, associate Extension professor of Forestry at the University of Kentucky.

This book is a chronicle of efforts to preserve species of plants that are disappearing, and it is an exceptional photo essay of the beauty of Kentucky. Dr. Barnes is a superlative photographer and has captured an astonishing variety of views. Many of the places are closed to the public but Dr. Barnes shows us locations where we, too, can find some of the unique flora of Kentucky. Dr. Barnes has a passion for trying to preserve these spaces for the next generation ...who may only know some of it through his photography. This is a highly recommended book ...for both the information and its photographs.

People here in Kentucky are great ones to mow grass! We, too, maintain part of our property in this way ...in part as a deference to our neighbors. Grass grows well here and humans have committed themselves to a never-ending battle to tame it in this state. But we think nature has a way of taking care of itself. Sandy wants to add a pond or small lake eventually. We may have to wait until we can spend more time at home to make that happen. She envisions fish, ducks, maybe even a heron or crane dropping in. We crave a bit of wild connection in a land where so much effort seems bent on paving it over.